Apparatus for cutting undulated ends on continuously moving tile



March 31, 1970 P c DETERS 3,

APPARATUS FOR CUTTING UNDUIJATED' ENDS ON CONTINUOUSLY MOVING TILE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 29, 1 963 INVENTOR. FM C W W W,

ATTORNEYS.

March 31, 1970 P. c. D-E'TERS APPARATUS FOR CUTTING UN-DULATED"ENDS 0N CONTINUOUSLY MOVING TILE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 29, 1963 INVENTOR. pmo/ C 09% BY W, M

ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent O US. Cl. 25110 3 Claims This invention relates to extruded clay drain tile and to apparatus for making the same.

For many years it has been common to make clay drain tile by extruding a continuous blank and then cutting the extruded blank into separate tile sections of any desired length. The tile sections thus formed are right cylindrical in shape and have flat end surfaces of substantially uniform thickness, which lie in a plane perpendicular to the tile axis. The tile sections are cut or severed from the blank continuously and automatically, by well known apparatus, as the blank moves from the extruder. The separate tile thus formed are then stacked on pallets or the like and fired; whereupon they are ready for sale and use.

Such tile are widely used for drainage, particularly of agricultural lands and the like. The tile are now conventionally laid by digging a trench to the desired depth with a mechanical tile setter or layer, positioning or setting the tile by hand and then back filling the trench. Thus each of these steps is now accomplished mechanically, with automatic apparatus, except the setting or positioning of the tile once it has been laid in the trench. Hand setting of the tile has been required by the fact that the tile laying machine deposits the tile in the trench juxtaposed one against the other, whereas better and more effective drainage and tile usage is obtained if the adjacent tile are spaced slightly apart. Such spacing must not be so great as to permit soil, etc. to easily flow into the tile with the water being drained, or to permit the entrapped flowing water to easily flow or seep out, but it must be great enough to avoid easy clogging and to permit the water to be drained to flow relatively easily into the tile line. In practice it has been customary to set the ends of adjacent tile about one-eighth of an inch apart, with their flat faces substantially parallel and their axes aligned. Such hand setting of unitary, extruded clay drainage tile is expensive and time consuming.

It is therefore a general object of this invention to provide new and improved extruded clay drainage tile and new and improved apparatus for making the same.

Another object of this invention is to provide new and improved extruded clay drainage tile, which will set, in proper spaced relationship, automatically when laid by mechanical tile layers and a new improved apparatus for making the same.

Other objects of this invention include the provision of new and improved extruded clay drainage tile having undulated ends which can be formed in a single operation as the tile is continuously extruded; which will cause adajcent tile to be spaced apart a predetermined distance when laid or placed by a mechanical tile layer; which is easily and economically manufactured and used; which is effective in operation; which is easily and economically set in tile lines, which reduces the cost, in time and money, of laying tile lines, which makes a more eflicient and uniform tile line; which is foolproof in operation, which provides a better tile for drainage tile lines and does not otherwise adversely effect the strength or structural characteristics of the tile or render them more fragile or inconvenient to make, handle, store or use; which is a unitary tile with similar ends so that adjacent tile need not have a particular end to end relationship in order to obtain the other objects and advantages of this invention; and, which has undulated end surfaces to ensure proper spacing between adjacent tile in tile lines and to provide for laying and setting of extruded clay tile by mechanical means.

Still other objects of this invention include the provision of new and improved apparatus for making tile having undulated ends and the provision of such apparatus which is simple in construction and foolproof in operation, which may be added to existing tile cutting apparatus without otherwise effecting the operation thereof and at low cost; which requires no additional manufacturing steps over processes and practices currently in use; which is economical to make and use; and, which does not increase the cost of manufacture of undulated end tile over the cost of present practices except for the initial small cost of the new and improved apparatus.

Other objects of this invention are to provide a new and improved undulated end, extruded clay tile manufactured on apparatus embodying the instant invention, and to provide a new and improved extruded clay tile and apparatus for making the same obtaining one or more of the objects and advantages hereinbefore set forth.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description of preferred forms thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an extruded clay tile embodying a preferred form of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is an elevation of the tile shown in FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation of apparatus, embodying a preferred form of this invention for making the tile shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a top plan view of the apparatus shown FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a side elevation, on an enlarged scale, of a pair of standards shown in FIGURE 3; and,

FIGURE 6 is a front elevation of the standards shown in FIGURE 5.

Broadly, this invention provides extruded clay tile having irregular, waved or undulated end surfaces so that the tile can be laid by conventional automatic tile laying machinery and will simultaneously and automatically be properly set so that adjacent tile are spaced apart a proper distance to permit water to drain therebetween and into the tile line, while preventing soil, etc. from washing into the line, as Well as providing means to cut and form such tile automatically as a part of the otherwise normal cutting of tile into the desired length subsequent to its extrusion as a continuous cylindrical blank and before firing.

More particularly, a tile section embodying this invention is indicated generally at 1, FIGURES 1 and 2, and is cut from a continuous extruded blank by the apparatus, indicated generally at 2, FIGURES 3 and 4.

Tile 1 is a hollow cylinder having a wall 4 with an endv surface 5 at each end. The tile 1 is of clay, and is extruded continuously cut, as will hereinafter more fully appear, and fired. In use it is buried in the ground in lines to drain off surface Water and the like. When so used, as noted above, the tile line functions most efifectively when adjacent tile are spaced apart separately about onequarter inch, as this facilitates the entry or seepage of water into the line between the tile, while preventing any substantial infiltration of soil or leakage therefrom of water collected therein.

Today it is common to lay such tile by machine, but the structure of the tile laying machine; the size, bulk and nature of the tile and the irregularities of the trench are such that the necessary close tolerances and correct setting of the laid tile cannot be obtained by tile laying machinery now used for this purpose and accordingly the tile which are deposited in the trench in abutting relationship must be manually separated to provide the necessary spacing or aperture between adjacent tiles, for the ingress of the soil water.

The tile 1 embodying this invention need not be so separated but instead embodies structure which ensure that apertures of sufiicient size to admit soil water in the tile line will be provided between adjacent tiles even through the tile laying apparatus, as is usually the case, abut one tile against the adjacent tile. To accomplish this purpose, the ends 5 of tile 1 are waved or undulated, as at 7, to provide an uneven end having spaced portions 8 which extend axially a greater distance than the intermediate portions or recesses 9. Thus when the tile 1 are abutted only the extended portions 8 of one tile engage the extended portions 8 of the next tile, while the portion of the abutting tile ends intermediate such engagements are spaced apart to provide apertures through which the soil water enters the tile line. Because ends 5 are waved the surface of ends 5 alternate smoothly and gradually between portions 8 and 9 and since the relative rotational position of two adjacent tile is determined by chance, the overwhelming probability is that in each instance at least some spacing will exist between the adjacent abutting tile.

Further the few instances when adjacent tile would be so aligned rotationally, as hereinafter more fully explained, so as to provide no spaces therebetween would have no practical effect in the function of a tile line as a whole and is likely, in fact, to occur even less often than with the present manual methods of setting and spacing when the worker overlooks spacing adjacent tiie for one reason or another and is insignificant compared with the greater speed and lower cost with which tile lines utilizing tile embodying this invention can be laid. Thus the tile 1 can be laid at lower cost and about 15% faster, than conventional extruded clay tile, because of the elimination of the time, work and labor necessary for handsetting the tile.

Tile 1 is extruded in the usual manner as a part of a continuous blank which passes through the apparatus 2, embodying this invention, which in a single step both separates the blank into the respective tile 1 having ends 5 perpendicular to the tile axis and forms the waves or undulations 7 thereon.

More particularly the apparatus 2 comprises a base or stand 14, which supports an elongated table 15 along which the blank progresses after it emerges from the extruder (not shown) and passes over roller 17. An endless chain 18 is mounted on table 15 advancing therealong in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed on rollers 20, which roll in tracks 21. Chain 18 is driven by motor 23 through a conventional drive mechanism, indicated generally at 24. The tile is viewed on the cradles 26, which are mounted on and spaced longitudinally along the chain 18 and are advanced by the motor and a chain at a rate substantially equal to the rate of extrusion. Chain 18 also supports a plurality of longitudinally spaced pairs of standards 27 which are mounted in parallel at each side of the table 15 and are moved in a fixed parallel relationship through the apparatus 2. The successive pairs of standards 27 are spaced apart, for purposes which will hereinafter more fully appear, a distance equal to the desired length of the tile.

Base 14 also comprises uprights 30 having cross bars 31 extending therebetween, which support a tranversely extending shaft 33 by means of pillow blocks 34. A rotary cutting reel 36 is rotatably mounted on shaft 33. Reel 36 comprises a pair of spaced rims 38 which are rotatably mounted on shaft 33 and adapted to rotate together.

A plurality of bifurcated cutting arms 39 are mounted on rims 38 for limited rotation about axes extending transverse of the apparatus. The ends 40 of each arm 39 remote from rims 38 are spaced apart transversely substantially the width of the apparatus and a roller 42 is mounted thereon So as to have its outer surface radially more remote from hub 37 than arm end 40. A taut transversely extending wire or cutter 43 extends between each pair of rollers 42. Wires 43 successively cut the blank, as will hereinafter more fully appear, upon revolution of reel 36 to form the respective tile. To this end, arms 39 are so dis-posed relative to the apparatus in general and the standards 27, in particular, and are of such length that each pair of standards as they are moved leftwardly as viewed along table 15 by chain 18 engage the bifurcated portions of an arm 39 and exert a pressure thereon to rotate the cutting reel. Standards 27 also function to guide the arms 39 so that the ends 40 and more particularly the cutting wires 43 on each arm travel perpendicularly to the travel of the tile blank so that the wires 43 make a perpendicular cut through the blank and retract along the same path, relative to the blank and tile so that the end surfaces 5 of the tile are perpendicular to the tile axis.

To actuate and control the action of arms 39 a cam 45 is fixedly mounted on shaft 33 intermediate the rims 38 and each arm 39 is provided with a lever 46, which extends generally inwardly toward the shaft 33. In addition, each arm 39 is prevented by a stop, not shown, from rotating forwardly, relative to the direction of rotation of the reel, of a radially extending position, albeit they are free to rotate in the opposite direction under the influence of gravity. This opposite rotation is prevented by the engagement of the rollers 42 with the standards 27 and by the engagement between the lever 46 and cam 45 when the respective arms are out of engagement with the standards. The reel 36 is rotated by the engagement between the successive pairs of standards and successive arms. The standards being moved lineally along the table 15 by chain 18, which is driven by motor 23, at the same speed as the tile blank is extruded. The resolution of the forces and vectors as the rollers 42 are guided or roll down and up the standards 27, causes each wire to travel throughout the engagement between each pair of standards and arm in a path perpendicular to the tile axis, so that the wire makes a single cut through the tile to provide an end surface perpendicular to the tile axis.

All of the above is old and per se forms no part of this invention.

In order to accomplish the objects of this invention the apparatus 2 is provided with means whereby the cutting Wires 43 are caused to reciprocally travel in a longitudinal direction, relative to the direction of movement of the blank and newly cut tiles through the apparatus, as they also move up and down vertically, relative to the same direction of travel, in order to sever the tile. The wires 43 thus have a sinuous, genenally vertical course relative to the tile and as a result the cut forms complementary undulated surfaces on the adjacent tile ends, as the tile are severed from the blank.

The means for causing the cutting wires 43 to reciprocate longitudinally as they move vertically to sever the tile is indicated generally at 50 in FIGURES 3, 5 and 6. Broadly, means 50 comprises making the otherwise smooth forward face 51 of the standards 27 irregular in a predetermined pattern, relative to the plane of the face and on axis extending transversely thereof, so as to cause the roller 42 and thereby the ends 40 of arms 39 and the wires 43 to displace or reciprocate fore and aft or longitudinally relative to the direction of tile travel as it passes down and up the face of the standard while being pushed about the axis 33 by the action of the standard while in engagement therewith. The resultant reciprocal motion of the rollers and arm ends displacesor moves the cutting wire 43 in similar directions at the same time, and the vector result of the respective motions imparted to the wire by the rotation of the cutting reel, the linear travel of the standards and the interaction of the cutting arm With the standards in View of the spring biased motion of the arms, and the means 50, as well as the movement of the tile and blank through the apparatus causes the tile to be severed with ends 5, FIGURES 1 and 2, which are undulated as at 7.

More particularly, means 50 preferably comprises lands or risers 53, which are Welded or otherwise fastened to the face of the standards 27, with similarly disposed and placed risers 53 on the face of each standard of each pair so that the rollers 42 and ends 40 of arms 39 remain parallel and opposed and do not cant or otherwise distort relative to each other as the wire, carried thereby, cuts the tile.

Preferably a plurality of risers 53 are secured to each standard 27 so that the end 5 of the resultant tile will have an undulated surface with a plurality of lands 8 and recess 9 to ensure that adjacent tile in the tile line bear upon one another at a plurality of points so that the tile line is maintained level and adjacent tile are not tipped or canted, or likely to be tipped or canted relative to each, because of only engaging each other at two diametrically spaced points.

In a convenient and preferable structure in apparatus for making or cutting ordinary four-inch extruded clay tile the lands or risers 53, having a thickness of about Vs inch, and a length of about one inch, are mounted on the face 51 of each standard 27, with the lowermost land 53', FIGURE 5, about one inch from the bottom of the standard, and the lands about three-fourth inch apart. The lands or risers 53 are mounted on standard 27 by any convenient means permanently as by welding, for example, or detachably, as with screws or the like.

In addition, the edges 54 of the lands 53 are preferably tapered, as shown, in order to provide a smooth surface of guideway over which the rollers 42 can pass as they ride down and up the face of the standard.

Further, although the means 50 is described as lands 53 which are separately mounted on the standards, it is to be understood that the standards 27 may be cast or formed in the first instance with the means 50 or lands 53 as an integral part thereof or that means 50 may take the form of recesses in the face 51 of the standards 27 instead of projections thereon, as shown, it only being necessary that the resultant face has surface portions which are longitudinally offset relative to the direction of the travel, offset, relative to each other.

Modifications, changes and improvements to the preferred forms and embodiments of the invention herein depicted and described may occur to those skilled in the art who come to understand the precepts and principles thereof. Accordingly, the patent to be issued herein should not be limited in its scope to the specific embodiments of the invention herein depicated and described, but by the advance by which the invention has promoted the art.

I claim:

1. In an apparatus for cutting clay tile from a blank comprising endless chain means for conveying the tile and blank through the apparatus, a rotary cutting reel supporting a plurality of cutting arms thereon having ends spaced apart a greater distance than the diameter of the tile to be cut, wires for cutting and severing the tile from the blank, a said wire extending between the ends of each said arm, guide means carried by said endless chain and having faces lying in vertical planes and engaging said ends of each said arm, respectively, and guiding said arms and wire to move in a vertical path. perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said tile and blank as said tile and blank are advanced through said apparatus, and means maintaining each said arm end in engagement with the faces, respectively, of said guide means while the wire extending therebetween severs a tile and is in the path of travel of said blank, the improvement that said guide means comprises a plurality of vertically spaced, longitudinally displaced surfaces on said guide means and in a different vertical plane than the plane of said face, and a plurality of angularly disposed surfaces interconnecting each said longitudinally dis placed surface with said face of said guide means for reciprocating the ends of said arms and the wires respectively carried thereby longitudinally, relative to said axis of said tile and blank, as said arms and wires are, respectively, guided vertically to cut and sever each said tile from said blank.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 in which said displaced and angular surfaces comprise a plurality of lands or risers carried on said face of said guide means.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 in which ,said guide means comprise a plurality of parallel, transversely spaced pairs of standards, spaced apart along said chain means with one said pair of standards engaging each said arm to guide said arm end and wire upon each rotation of said arm with said reel, each said standard having a face surface and a plurality of said longitudinally displaced and angularly related surfaces with said displaced and angularly related surfaces on each said pair of standards, respectively, being aligned transversely.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,162,926 6/1939 Wuelken 61-11 2,810,264 10/1957 Kelly 61-11 1,164,846 12/1915 Nelson 25-110 1,202,028 10/1916 Carter 25-110 1,108,287 8/1914 Warstlen et al. 25-110 1,202,028 10/1916 Gatten 25-110 1,572,028 2/ 1926 Muellen 25-105 2,263,474 11/1941 Scheibl 25-105 FOREIGN PATENTS 110,241 9/ 1924 Switzerland.

ROBERT D. BALDWIN, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 83-337 

1. IN AN APPARATUS FOR CUTTING CLAY TILE FROM A BLANK COMPRISING ENDLESS CHAIN MEANS FOR CONVEYING THE TILE AND BLANK THROUGH THE APPARATUS, A ROTARY CUTTING REEL SUPPORTING A PLURALITY OF CUTTING ARMS THEREON HAVING ENDS SPACED APART A GREATER DISTANCE THAN THE DIAMETER OF THE TILE TO BE CUT, WIRES FOR CUTTING AND SEVERING THE TILE FROM THE BLANK, A SAID WIRE EXTENDING BETWEEN THE ENDS OF EACH SAID ARM, GUIDE MEANS CARRIED BY SAID ENDLESS CHAIN AND HAVING FACES LYING IN VERTIAL PLANES AND ENGAGING SAID ENDS OF EACH SAID ARM, RESPECTIVELY, AND GUIDING SAID ARMS AND WIRE TO MOVE IN A VERTICAL PATH, PERPENDICULAR TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID TILE AND BLANK AS SAID TILE AND BLANK ARE ADVANCED THROUGH SAID APPARATUS, AND MEANS MAINTAINING EACH SAID ARM END IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE FACES, RESPECTIVELY, OF SAID GUIDE MEANS WHILE THE WIRE EXTENDING THEREBETWEEN SEVERS A TILE AND IS IN THE PATH OF TRAVEL OF SAID BLANK, THE IMPROVEMENT THAT SAID GUIDE MEANS COMPRISES A PLURALITY OF VERTICALLY SPACED, LONGITUDINALLY DISPLACED SURFACES ON SAID GUIDE MEANS AND IN A DIFFERENT VERTICAL PLANE THAN THE PLANE OF SAID FACE, AND A PLURALITY OF ANGULARLY DISPOSED SURFACES INTERCONNECTING EACH SAID LONGITUDINALLY DISPLACED SURFACE WITH SAID FACE OF SAID GUIDE MEANS FOR RECIPROCATING THE ENDS OF SAID ARMS AND THE WIRES RESPECTIVELY CARRIED THEREBY LONGITUDINALLY, RELATIVE TO SAID AXIS OF SAID TILE AND BLANK, AS SAID ARMS AND WIRES ARE, RESPECTIVELY, GUIDED VERTICALLY TO CUT AND SEVER EACH SAID TILE FROM SAID BLANK. 